When Perry got back to OWCA, he went in search of his male friends. He found Victor loitering by the water cooler near Christina's office. Grabbing his friend's wrist, he dragged the otter, protesting, all the way to Pinky's office, where he found the Chihuahua sitting at his desk. He dumped Victor beside the desk and closed the door.
"Perry, you're scaring me," Victor stated, unnerved.
"I have a serious problem," Perry groaned.
Pinky and Victor exchanged a terrified look.
"I have a date to the OWCA party, and I-."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Victor interrupted. "Hold the metaphorical phone, back up the metaphorical bus, hold your metaphorical horses!"
Perry closed his beak.
"You have a date to the OWCA party?!" Pinky gasped. "Who?!"
"Yeah, that's what I'd like to know," Victor agreed, eyes narrowed. "I overheard at least six female agents talking at lunchtime today and all of them said you'd rejected them."
Perry coughed, embarrassed. "Yeah…well, Naomi isn't an OWCA agent."
"Naomi?" repeated Pinky. "Who IS Naomi, then?"
"She's just a platypus I know from around," Perry lied. "She-she kind of captured my heart."
"AWW!" Pinky squealed, grabbing Perry in a tight grip. "That's so cute! Can we meet her?"
"We're going to the OWCA party together, so I guess you will," grinned Perry. "But that leads me onto the serious problem."
"Yeah, since getting a date to the OWCA party when you've rejected every girl in OWCA is literally the opposite of a series problem," Victor said, folding his arms. "What exactly is this problem?"
"I have nothing to wear."
The problem was finally out in the open, and Perry wasn't entirely sure what he was expecting from his friends.
Victor opened his mouth and closed it again, while Pinky hummed in thought. "That's difficult."
"I didn't make any arrangements for a suit because I thought I wouldn't be going," Perry confessed. "I really need your help, guys. Where did you get your suits?"
"Furry Fashions," replied Victor immediately. "Best tailor shop for animals ever."
"We're different sizes to the normal mammal sizes they have in stock, so we had to pre-order our suits," added Pinky. "But you're just about the right size, so if you come with us when we go over to get our suits this afternoon, I'm sure they'll be able to find something suitable."
"Thanks so much," Perry breathed. "I was so worried. Wait…" He frowned at Victor. "Who are YOU going to the party with, Victor?"
"Nobody in particular," sighed Victor. "I-I confess I was hoping to make a good impression on Christina."
"Nothing's changed recently between you two, has it?" Perry asked resignedly.
"No." Victor bowed his head. "And that's a problem. Every time we try to talk to each other, one of us ends up yelling at the other."
"That IS a problem," agreed Pinky. "How about we think about this on the way to get our suits?"
…
"I had no idea this clothes shop even existed," Perry stated, walking into the Furry Fashions shop in the centre of Danville.
"All OWCA agents come here if ever they need anything," Victor said. "Professionals work here."
No sooner had they walked in the door than a peppy panda bounded up to them, wearing a cute little uniform. "Welcome to Furry Fashions! My name is Patty, and I'll be serving you today."
"You're Peter's older sister, aren't you?" Perry asked, frowning.
Patty nodded. "You must be that platypus he hates."
Perry sighed. "Yep, that's me. Do you have anything in the way of suits?"
"Of course we do," beamed Patty, taking hold of Perry's paw and beginning to drag him away. "Right this way. And what about you two gentlemen?"
Victor and Pinky both immediately pointed in the direction of the pickup counter.
"Looks like you two are sorted." Patty continued pulling Perry until they reached a section that was full of suits: black, white, grey, even pink, some of them.
"Very Great Gatsby-ish," commented Perry dryly.
"Great who?" Patty looked confused.
Perry chuckled. "Nobody. Anyway, which colour do you think would go best on me?"
"Hmm…" Patty circled Perry, humming in thought. "I wouldn't say grey. Either white or black, so you should probably try a couple of both." She grabbed two random ones off the rail and held them both against Perry. "Hmm…not bad…"
"Uh…" Perry had never felt more awkward in his life. "P-Patty, would you mind if I tried these on alone? It's just-."
"Oh, you don't have to explain!" Patty smiled warmly, handing the two suits to Perry. "I'm staff, so I have to obey customers. If you want to be left alone, then I'll go. I'll wait over by the changing rooms so if you want to try anything on or have any inquiries, you can come to me."
"Thanks, Patty."
As she walked away, Perry turned back to the rail and put back the two suits that Patty had selected. It wasn't that he didn't trust her judgement; it was simply that Perry valued his best friends' opinion more because they had known him for longer.
He tried looking in the mirror and holding up a few suits against himself, but nothing seemed to suit him. He was ready to quit when he heard his best friends' voices coming from behind him.
"Why don't you go for a pink suit?" teased Pinky, as he and Victor walked into the suit section.
"Because pink is more your colour," Victor retorted, smirking. "It's even in your name."
"Ha-ha," Perry said monotonously. "Can we stop this witty banter and focus on the fact that I'm about to have a mental breakdown because of these stupid bits of fabric?"
"See, that's your problem," Pinky said, poking Perry's side. "You only think of suits as clothing."
Perry raised an eyebrow. "They're not clothing?"
Pinky rolled his eyes. "I'm saying that suits aren't just clothing, they're fashion."
Perry glanced at Victor, who shrugged. "Not even I know what he's talking about," the otter said.
Pinky sighed. "Look, guys. Suits aren't just clothing. Sure, they go on your body and you wear them. But they aren't just things you wear. People SEE you wearing them, so you need to think of them almost as accessories. Suits are as much for others as they are for you. Do you get it?"
"I think I'm getting there," Perry admitted.
"I feel completely enlightened," Victor deadpanned.
Pinky elbowed his side and addressed Perry: "Just go for whichever suit you feel the best vibe from."
Perry put the suit he was holding back on the rail and looked round the small section of suits. One in particular caught his eye: it was a simple black one, with spaces for cufflinks in the jacket, and it came with its own bow tie. He felt himself drawn to it, so he walked over to it and traced the fabric with his fingers. Unlike a few of the others he had looked at, the fabric felt very smooth and silky, and it looked comfortable.
"I think I've found it," he said. "The one I want."
"Why don't you try it on?" Pinky suggested, grinning at Victor, who glanced confusedly back at him. "Looks like my advice worked," the Chihuahua said smugly to the otter, as Perry headed to the changing room.
"Dude, I have no idea what your advice even meant. I'm just glad I wasn't choosing my suit today too, or I'd probably have walked out of here with a dress."
Pinky burst out laughing. "That I would pay to see."
"Don't waste your hard-earned money."
That just made Pinky laugh again. The Chihuahua was still laughing when Perry emerged from the changing room, wearing his suit. Pinky sobered up immediately and looked the platypus over with appreciation.
Victor gave a whistle. "Nice. Your Naomi will love this."
Perry smiled shyly. "Do you really think she will?"
"Let's put it this way: if I was a girl, I'd be begging you to go to the party with ME instead of her," Victor said, grinning.
Perry matched his grin. "You're weird."
"I know. Anyway, does Naomi have a dress?"
Perry stared at him. He hadn't thought of that. "N-no…she doesn't…"
"Don't look so scared," chuckled Victor. "I was only asking because Pinky told me that Tess and Christina are going dress shopping tomorrow, and I was thinking that Naomi could go with them."
"She doesn't know them, though," Perry said doubtfully. "And she's pretty wary of strangers. But she does need a dress…"
"Then it's settled," Victor said, smiling. "But Pinky will have to ask Tess…" He glanced at the Chihuahua, who sighed.
"Man, you're gonna have to talk to Christina at SOME point."
Victor growled. "I know, I know!"
"I'll ask Tess," Pinky said hurriedly. "I'm sure she'll be fine with it."
Perry couldn't help beaming.
Everything was coming together!